Words by Michelle McCune, Global Head of HR
When I started at Moon in April 2020, no one knew what a crazy year the pandemic would create. While it has been a wild journey both professionally and personally for all of us, the pandemic has forced myself and our Talent Acquisition team to think differently. We’ve challenged ourselves to think broader, bolder, and more creatively in our hiring. It’s pushed us to open up avenues of candidate pipelines we might have never explored previously.
The team had an aggressive goal to double our workforce and hire exceptional talents in both Palo Alto and Tokyo. In pre-COVID times, we would have had the opportunity to host in-person networking events and attend conferences. We would have been traveling to both Moon studios to conduct on-site interview panels and career fairs. However, all of our previous recruiting methods were simply not possible.
Moon was also in its infancy. With our organization only being in its second year, we had the added pressure of knowing we were still in “growth” mode. Whoever we hired in this critical formation of Moon would set the tone for our company culture and define who we wanted to be as a company. Our goal was to recruit diverse candidates not only in terms of gender and ethnicity, but candidates with diversity of life experiences, character, and career choices.
My team of recruiters worked tirelessly to brainstorm new ways to attract top talent. They digitally “hit the pavement running,” connecting with interest groups such as start-up ecosystems, females in tech, even gaming interest groups. They also expanded their search outside of Tokyo and California to the entire United States and many parts of Asia.
The results were incredible! At the end of the year, we hired 26 amazing new Moon team members with such unique and inspiring experiences. We have a Full Stack Engineer who previously created interactive museum exhibits at some of the most forward-thinking museums across the United States. We have a Product Designer who creates the most intricate 3D printed art as a hobby. Our Global Head of Product was a cofounder of a very successful funding platform for creative projects globally. We have many entrepreneurs at Moon who have started their own businesses in everything from retail to weather to healthcare. Our new team members come from five countries and speak 11 languages. They love everything from art, music, science, gaming, anime, boba tea, to karaoke!
The best part of all, every person here possesses the warmth, curiosity, and spirit that embodies the human-centered culture we are building at Moon. Every person is a dynamic individual with unique skills and character that evaluates who we are as a whole. I always look forward to coming to work every single day and being inspired by everything we are learning and building together.
